Handheld skate blade sharpener

Abstract

A skate blade sharpening tool that has a cylindrical sharpening stone that is positioned directly over the blade and adjusting the slot width in the sharpener using thumb screws to match the blade width. When tightening the thumb screws, the two halves of the tool handle will decrease the slot width onto the blade. This pressure on the blade will force the through shaft and cylindrical stone to be centered over the blade. The sharpening stone will remove metal to match the shape of the stone each time the sharpener is moved back and forth along the blade. The sharpening stone has gears on each end of the stone that match the gears inside the two-piece body. As the tool is moved along the skate blade, the sharpening stone will incrementally rotate within the body when the direction is changed in the reciprocating motion by the user's back and forth movement. The sharpener also has a deburring stone mounted to the black of the handheld sharpener.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. An apparatus for sharpening a blade of a skate, comprising:
 a cylindrical sharpening stone having a surface; 
 a housing including at least two separable bodies, at least one of said bodies rotatably supporting said sharpening stone; said bodies capable of being coupled to each other and forming a slot of adjustable width therebetween, the slot exposing a surface of said sharpening stone for abrading contact with the blade; 
 a biasing member configured for applying a biasing force to act on at least one of said bodies when coupled together; and 
 an adjustable fastener for coupling said bodies together, wherein adjusting said fastener changes the biasing force applied by said biasing member and adjusts the width of the slot; 
 wherein said sharpening stone is cylindrical along an axis, said housing defines a cylindrical bore for containing said sharpening stone, and said sharpening stone is axially translatable within the bore. 
 
     
     
       2. The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said biasing member comprises an elastomeric material compressible against either one of said separable bodies by tightening of said fastener. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus of  claim 2  wherein said biasing member is configured and located to apply the biasing force to urge said bodies together. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus of  claim 2  wherein said biasing member is configured and located to apply the biasing force to urge said bodies apart. 
     
     
       5. The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said biasing member is a washer configured to be elastically compressible by said fastener. 
     
     
       6. The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said biasing member is placed between said bodies and urges said bodies apart. 
     
     
       7. The apparatus of  claim 6  wherein said biasing member is a spring. 
     
     
       8. The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said housing has two ends, and said apparatus further comprises a stationary shaft having two ends, with each shaft end affixed to a corresponding one of said housing ends, said shaft rotatably supporting said sharpening stone. 
     
     
       9. The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said housing has two ends, and said apparatus further comprises a stationary shaft having two ends along an axis, with each shaft end affixed to a corresponding one of said housing ends, said sharpening stone being axially translatable within said housing along said shaft. 
     
     
       10. An apparatus for sharpening a blade of a skate, comprising:
 a cylindrical sharpening stone having a surface; 
 a housing including at least two separable bodies, at least one of said bodies rotatably supporting said sharpening stone; said bodies capable of being coupled to each other and forming a slot of adjustable width therebetween, the slot exposing a surface of said sharpening stone for abrading contact with the blade; 
 a biasing member configured for applying a biasing force to act on at least one of said bodies when coupled together; and 
 an adjustable fastener for coupling said bodies together, wherein adjusting said fastener changes the biasing force applied by said biasing member and adjusts the width of the slot; 
 wherein said housing has two ends, and said apparatus further comprises a stationary shaft having two ends, with each shaft end affixed to a corresponding one of said housing ends, said shaft rotatably supporting said sharpening stone. 
 
     
     
       11. The apparatus of  claim 10  wherein said biasing member comprises an elastomeric material compressible against either one of said separable bodies one said body by tightening of said fastener. 
     
     
       12. The apparatus of  claim 11  wherein said biasing member is configured and located to apply the biasing force to urge said bodies together. 
     
     
       13. The apparatus of  claim 11  wherein said biasing member is configured and located to apply the biasing force to urge said bodies apart. 
     
     
       14. The apparatus of  claim 10  wherein said biasing member is a washer configured to be elastically compressible by said fastener. 
     
     
       15. The apparatus of  claim 10  wherein said biasing member is placed between said bodies and urges said bodies apart. 
     
     
       16. The apparatus of  claim 15  wherein said biasing member is a spring. 
     
     
       17. The apparatus of  claim 10  wherein said sharpening stone is cylindrical along an axis, said housing defines a cylindrical bore for containing said sharpening stone, and said sharpening stone is axially translatable within the bore. 
     
     
       18. The apparatus of  claim 10  wherein said sharpening stone is axially translatable within said housing along said shaft. 
     
     
       19. An apparatus for sharpening a blade of a skate, comprising:
 a cylindrical sharpening stone having a surface; 
 a housing including at least two separable bodies, at least one of said bodies rotatably supporting said sharpening stone; said bodies capable of being coupled to each other and forming a slot of adjustable width therebetween, the slot exposing a surface of said sharpening stone for abrading contact with the blade; 
 a biasing member configured for applying a biasing force to act on at least one of said bodies when coupled together; and 
 an adjustable fastener for coupling said bodies together, wherein adjusting said fastener changes the biasing force applied by said biasing member and adjusts the width of the slot; 
 wherein said housing has two ends, and said apparatus further comprises a stationary shaft having two ends along an axis, with each shaft end affixed to a corresponding one of said housing ends, said sharpening stone being axially translatable within said housing along said shaft. 
 
     
     
       20. The apparatus of  claim 19  wherein said biasing member comprises an elastomeric material compressible against either one of said separable bodies by tightening of said fastener. 
     
     
       21. The apparatus of  claim 20  wherein said biasing member is configured and located to apply the biasing force to urge said bodies together. 
     
     
       22. The apparatus of  claim 20  wherein said biasing member is configured and located to apply the biasing force to urge said bodies apart. 
     
     
       23. The apparatus of  claim 19  wherein said biasing member is a washer configured to be elastically compressible by said fastener. 
     
     
       24. The apparatus of  claim 19  wherein said biasing member is placed between said bodies and urges said bodies apart. 
     
     
       25. The apparatus of  claim 24  wherein said biasing member is a spring. 
     
     
       26. The apparatus of  claim 19  wherein said sharpening stone is cylindrical along an axis, said housing defines a cylindrical bore for containing said sharpening stone, and said sharpening stone is axially translatable within the bore. 
     
     
       27. The apparatus of  claim 19  wherein said shaft rotatably supports said sharpening stone.